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Dr. Don McArthur

ETC is sad to report the passing of Dr. Don McArthur on October 7, 2012. Don worked with others at ETC on several projects including his Spatial and Intensity Digitizer, a ground-breaking instrument at the time, and the interface of a digital computer to analog video instruments. He also collaborated with Woody and Steina Vasulka on their computer system. Our sympathy is extended to his family. The obituary follows.

Donald retired from Lockheed-Martin in Irving, TX where he worked designing computer software and hardware for imaging systems and simulators. Survived by his son Michael, Michael’s wife Sophie Alexander and their daughter Gemma Mae Rose of Newfield, NY; His first wife Jane McArthur nee Spicknall originally of Lincoln, NE; three step-children from his second marriage: Suzanne, Lisa, and John and their families; several cousins. Predeceased by his parents, aunts, uncles, several cousins, and his second wife Marilyn of Homer, NY. Donald was born January 19, 1938 in Holdrege, NE the only child of David Kenneth McArthur and Olive Bernice McArthur nee Troutman. He attended Ragan schools through 8th grade, living on the family farm south of Holdrege. Donald graduated Holdrege High School in 1955, University of Nebraska at Lincoln 1959 with a B.A. and a PhD in Theoretical Physics in 1967. At the University of Saskatchewan-Saskatoon Don filled a post-doctoral fellowship post for six years at the Linear Accelerator Laboratory where he contributed mathematical physics and advanced electronics before moving to New York State to teach at the State University in Cortland. In the early ‘70s Donald was invited to work with The Experimental Television Center, (then in Binghamton, NY), where artists, designers, and scientists gather to create new visual art forms and technological tools for the artists. Donald designed some of the early digital technology that lead to the development of computer-generated imagery, including 3-D images. This work led to a job with Singer-Link where he designed systems for the first flight simulator to train space shuttle pilots. His work took him to Irving TX in 1980 where he lived until 2004, working for several companies on imaging projects including LTV, Texas Instruments and Lockheed-Martin. He also taught as an associate professor at University of Texas at Arlington. His work earned several patents and had applications for the mars rovers and military training simulations. Donald co-authored at least one paper on simulation. This website talks about one of his innovationshttp://www.audiovisualizers.com/toolshak/vidsynth/mcarthur/mcarthur.htm. Donald had many interests throughout his life, besides being dedicated to puzzling out some new problem in his work, he enjoyed reading, writing, square dancing, Buddhist meditation, painting, travel and in his youth boy scouts and amateur radio. Don loved a good joke, even more if it was dirty.

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From another thread (click on the photo):
"Lots of great synth players out there with most of them being keyboardists of one sort or another. I loved the the keyboard for doing traditional melodic playing but love the algorithmic systems like the Buchla and Tcherepnin even more because they are based on the idea of fundamental electronic flow (something fresh) rather than the old history of music in a new guise. Right from my beginning in 1967 I used the Moog mostly for electronic flow in algorithmic designs and compositions because that's what really fascinated me. I kept a log of what I'd learned for my PhD research dissertation thanks to the help of an oscilloscope and it become the very first published manual for the modern day synthesizer that was used globally wherever the Moog of that time was to be found. My second book THE ELECTRONIC ARTS OF SOUND AND LIGHT (now found in 380 major libraries worldwide) focused on what really interested me and informed my work. Over 500 examples of that thinking can be found on my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0crjOP3jQnM4E4kQzcme0w"

Alison Nguyen is back as the Signal Culture artist in residence this week! Alison is a New York-based artist working in film, video, photography, and installation. She uses these forms to raise questions about the circulation of images and the cultural surrounding. Often integrating appropriated footage from mass media, Nguyen investigates systems of control found within the visual codes of this material.
For more information, go to
http://signalculture.org/alisonnguyen.html

RipRockRoll: Roots of the Glitch. Short sample of new video. Sound and HD please (moves too fast for full screen on the FB codec). Full video @ https://youtu.be/bhk5Ql9p1uE
Hang on to your seat with this one. It's designed to upset your equilibrium. Just when you think you're safe up comes another shimmy, shake, and stretch.